Getty Khalil Mack, possible Packers trade target
On Sunday, ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler said on SportsCenter that there were an increasing number of teams inquiring about making a trade for Chargers star pass-rusher Khalil Mack. It is fair to wonder whether there could be a Packers trade there. The team is revamping the defense and might be looking for a difference-maker to play opposite Rashan Gary. Mack would be ideal.
There is a chance, after all, that the Packers move on from Preston Smith this offseason and while the overall plan is sure to involve more time for 2023 first-round pick Lucas Van Ness, who struggled with injuries last season, adding Mack would be a blockbuster move that push the Packers defense forward.
That’s needed if the team is going to join the upper echelon of the NFC sooner rather than later.
At SI.com, they were already pushing the Packers as the No. 1 landing spot for a Mack trade: “The Packers shocked a lot of people last season, reaching the divisional round of the playoffs,” the site’s Matt Levine wrote. “Quarterback Jordan Love looked like the real deal, and they will be looking to improve this next season.
“Adding someone like Mack could go a long way in helping them really take that next step, possibly into Super Bowl contention. Green Bay has some quality defenders as well, but they are armed with multiple second-round draft picks that could be attractive to the Chargers.”
Packers Trade Would Not Be Too Costly
The Chargers could be willing to part with Mack just to register the financial savings as the team’s roster goes through a financial crunch and seeks to retool. Mack is in the final year of a six-year, $141 million contract he signed in Chicago in 2018. He was traded to the Chargers for a second- and sixth-round pick in 2022, so it is fair to say he would fetch about the same in trade value this year, if not less.
Mack will be 33 years old in 2024, well ahead of the Packers’ clear move to youth. But with just one year left on his deal, he could be a short-term player who allows the Packers to continue to bring along Van Ness slowly.
The Packers can expect Gary to be back and running at full throttle next year, but with the team changing its base defense, it’s possible Smith would be out. Smith is 31 years old.
Khalil Mack Earned 8th Pro Bowl Spot
Mack racked up a career-high 17 sacks last year, and also had a career-high with 10 passes defensed. He totaled 21 tackles for a loss and five forced fumbles, helping him to his eighth Pro Bowl selection in his career. The Packers have solid defensive talent, but do need more playmakers on the field.
The Packers were middle-of-the-pack, ranking 16th in sacks last year, and were 26th with 1.1 takeaways per game.
Mack could be change that. As Fowler said of him, per Bleacher Report, Mack, “is one in particular that I know multiple teams I’ve spoken to have an eye on because he had the 17 sacks a year ago. Huge cap hit and [the Chargers] can save $20-plus million on their cap if they were to trade or move on.
“Maybe there’s a trade possibility for a team in need of a pass rusher and there will be many in that market around free agency.”